Conveyer system



E. J. DE WITT CONVEYER YsTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 1 930 50Inventor Edward James Dewitt Aug. 7, 1934.

E. J. DE WITT CONVEYER SYSTEM Aug. 7, 1934.

Filed Nov. 1, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 wa MA m W H m & WVJ MB 1934- E. J.DE WITT j 1,969,122.

CONVEYER SYSTEM Filed NOV. 1, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 15 Inventor EdwardJames DeM Itl I I By Patented Aug. 7, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,969,122CONVEYER SYSTEM Edward James De Witt, Lake Forest, Ill.

Application November 1, 1930, Serial No. 492,659

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in conveyer systems and moreparticularly to that type of conveyer system wherein objects are to beconveyed between spaced apart horizontal levels.

An object of the invention is'to provide an improved conveyer system.

Another object is to provide a conveyer system wherein the ascension anddesceneion of objects, as to and from an upper level, is a continuousfunction of the same object supporting carriers, in continuous motion.

A further object is to provide a conveyer system in which that spacebetween the opposite and horizontally aligned series of objectsupporting carriers is entirely free of interconnecting membersthroughout the continuous and endless path thereof. This feature greatlyaids in the loading and unloading of the carriers.

Another object is to provide a conveyer system wherein the objectsupporting carriers are held non-yieldingly in horizontal positionduring their complete cycle of movement vertically and during thehorizontal cross over.

A further object is to provide a conveyer system wherein loading andunloading to and from the respective vertically ascending and descendingcarriers may be done entirely within a horizontal plane.

Another object is to provide a conveyer system in which loading may bedone on one side and unloading and reloading accomplished on the other,thus performing the duties of two conveyers of the type at presentavailable.

A further object is to provide a conveyer system having an automatictake-up for preventing the occurrence of lost motion as between theseries of object supporting carriers.

Another object is to provide a conveyer system which is relativelysimple in structure, which will operate smoothly to bear the mostdelicate burden and which may be manufactured at relatively low cost.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear in the followingspecif cation and appended claim.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification, wherein Fig. l is avertical sectional view of my improved conveyer along the line 1--1 ofFig. 2

Fig. 2 is a horizontal full sectional view along the line 2--2 of Fig.1; h

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the conveyer ,as shown in F .Fig. 4 is afragmentary elevation of a part of the conveyer;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view along the In general, the conveyersystem selected 'for fli illustration herein comprises an open. uprightframe A rectangular in horizontal section, with-j in which a pair ofendless link chains B are mounted for linear motion, each chain beingarranged in rectangular form in a plane parallel '25' to and adjacentone end wall of the frame; means for synchronizing the movement of thechains, a plurality of object supporting carriers 0 arranged inregistering pairs pivotally secured to the opposite sides of the chainsB, and mechanism for guiding said object supporting carriers C tomaintain them positively in unerringly upright positions throughouttheir entire course of travel. Loading and unloading apparatus generallyindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 coordinately functions with theforegoing mechanism to load and unload the conveyer as hereinafterdescribed.

The frame A is constructed of four upright angle irons 20 of a heightdeterminable by the 96 elevation to which the conveyer is'to be used.lhis may be from one to the next or several floor levels above of thebuilding within which the conveying system is in use. Horizontal crossmembers 21 make up the balance of frame A and lend rigidity to theentire structure.

Each of the pair of chains B is mounted upon four sprockets 25, 26, 2'7and 28 carried upon inner and opposite sides of the frame A, the

sprockets 25 and 26 having their shafts journalled upon cross pieces 21of the frame while the sprockets 27 and 28 are similarly mounted uponheavy cross bars 30 (see Figs. Sand '7) which by their weight keep thechains tight. By

this arrangement the chains at the'upper horizontal cross-over are heldtaut to assure proper increment of the carriers with respect to theirguides as hereinafter explained.

Pawls 31 associated with the crossbars'are arranged to engage withratchet toothed racks maintainthe'ca'rriers in their intendedoperaarranged much the same as are these for the top 32 secured to theframe to thus maintain the chains taut when drawn so by the cross bars.

Each of the sprockets 25 has its shafts extended outwardly of the frameA and carries gears 35 thereupon. The gears 35 mesh with similar gears36 upon opposite ends of a shaft 37 journalled upon the frame A abovethe chains B. This shaft and its gears 36 serve to permanentlyinterconnect the pair of chains so that they movein synchrcnis'm. Theshaft 37 has a sprocket 38 which is interconnected by a drive chain 39to a sprocket 40 secured to the driven shaft ll of an electric motordrive unit 42 which, when set in motion, may drive the chains in thedirection of the arrows 45.

The chains B are of the link type, as best shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7,and each has 'a plurality of spaced apart object supportingcarriers,

sitepairs. These carriers C are further formed with horizontally andlaterally extending. flanges 50 at their lower edge so that a shelf ortray may be supported upon and between the flanges oi the opposed pairof carriers.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the. chains B areconfined in their vertical movements against lateral displacement in anydirection by elongated tracks including vertically spaced angle pieces53 (see Fig. 5), the edges of which extend between the outer plates ofthe 'chain links so that the chain is' held against all but verticalmovement. The pivotal supports of the carriers C are thus guided duringthe ascent and descent of the carriers.

Additional structure operating to still further tivejpositions'consistsin pairs of spaced apart railsfioextending vertically, one ofeach pair at opposite endsofj'the lower portions of the carriers. Theserails '60 may be of angle ironsecuredto theframe A'byplates 61 (see Fig.5).

The rails, a'respaced slightly away from the chainflanfdfchainguidesjBand 53, respectively, andjso"'thatcarriers mayslide fiat against therailstheupper part of the carriers are off-set as 'sho'wnjat 64."'Roller's65 are mounted at the rerriotefends of the carriers wheretheycontact the rails '60 at the outer faces or' sides 66 (see Fig. 5 This.arrangement holds the carriers with their trayjor. loadsupportingflanges 50 in horizontal position regardless of the disposition ofthelo'ad."

Means f orflmaintaining the horizontal position of the 'carriersjCduring the cross over or horizontal movement atv the top and bottom ofthe conveyer consists 'of single cross rails 68, three of whicharefa'tthe top and'three of which are at the. bottom arranged in longitudinalalignment/Of the upper three the outer two serve to join thefrails 60 attheir upper ends, while the center Qohc isfslnaced apart from theremaining two by a distance sufficient to admit the adjacent roller.6 5'of the carrier as it passesfrom vertical to horizontal movement and viceversa. At the lower ends'ofthe rails'60 the single rails 68 arecross-overexceptthe inner of the rails 60 do not 'rescheown to engage.with the adjacent single rails 68.

. wers? .evvem nt he a r s an guides 53. When weathers; 0

the outer two rails 68 are likewise so formed, the

curved portion being indicated at 69. 80

As an additional precaution a horizontal guide 70 is disposed over thecenter of the upper rails 68 as the carriers are presumed to be loadedwhen crossing over at the top. v

Mechanismior loading the conveyer at its low level is shown in dottedlines in Figs. 1 and 2. In brief, the mechanism comprises conveyerchains riding upon sprockets 76, certain of the links or" which haveoutwardly extending attachment links-forming fingers F (as in the chainshown in Fig. 9) which may engage with and push the object on tray Talong its supporting runners R until the objector. tray can move nofurther by virtue of the disengagement of the fingers F therefrom as thechain moves over the inner sprockets .76. The .obJtCt ortrayis, then ina position so thatth'e next succeedingfpa ir of car-. riers C willengage and'lift itupon their flanges 5a to be carried'to itsdestination... The inner. sprockets 76 are fixed to a shaft,30, upon'vwhich 100 a third sprocket 81 is'mounted. IThe sprocket 8.1 is connectedby a drive chain 83 to a sprocket "82 mounted uponthe shaft of theadjacent sprocket. 27 for the chain B. Thusthe. loading device issynchronized with the conveyerfpropen,

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown'in, detail a similar device for unloading.the conveyeras at an upper level. Thisdevice, as in the case of theloading. apparatus, comprises. a pair ,of conveyer chains, 99 which rideupon sprockets 91 carried upon' shafts 92; Theinnermost of the shafts,92 has a thirdsprocket 93 thereuponwhich is, drivenby a chain 94' whichderives its power from a Sbrocke et 94 keyed upon theshaft'of theadjacent sprock et26. W

In operation, my, improved conveyer system performs all of the duties ofa, multiplex conveyer of the present known type employinggnofless than;three endlessdriven chains or' belts itdele'vate,

cross over and lowerfthe.load.s,.imposed;.

The. total absencev of. interconnecting structure. betweentheopposedfchainsjBor carriers .0 makes possible the introductionof asimple load ex-. tracter, therebetween for receiving. the. trays. ofload thereupon asthe carriers descend and, cone tinue' on theirjdownward journey. As hereto -v fore described, the mechanism forextracting the load may be of unusually simple s r cmmcom. sistingmerelypi span of cha'ins riding upon supporting sprockets, th entire"assembly. be--- ing stationary difi'erentia'ted, from themore complexand troublesome compound reciprocal. extracting apparatus necessarilyemployed on pres ent known c nveyer'sro like purposes wherela crossover' of the load cannot be carried out} It 35 will be noted thatFIprovide for impress-ever or the load from ascent to descentwithoutextraneous means.

A load such as a tray. T whichmay contain objects to be. elevated.to'angupperlevel, is. placed. upon the loading chains 76 which move asshown: by the arrow 98. tdpush,.the.tray along...its run- 2 53 w ereitii s n d r t y. inthe path of. the next ascending pair of.carriers;..C.which, ,in pas n b t ,ners, wi l. en ge wi h an 145 lift hi y p eith i r hg izont llyex en ne f a e ti nsa ascendin ;th trerwi lbheld'horizontally despite any one sided arrange; ment of its loadbecauseof the re, s 0, an d chain .sethe itrer 1. .0

have arrived at the top of the conveyer the carriers will follow thechain B on the cross-over in the direction of the arrow 45 and duringthis travel be guided and held horizontally by the rails 68 and upperguide 70 assisted by the extremities of the rails 60.

At the end of the cross-over the carriers guided by the chain and curvedportion 69 of the rails 68 will start the descent along the rails 60 atthe remote side of the conveyer where the tray may be stopped by therunners R of the unloading device, allowing its carriers to proceeddownwardly. The chains 90 will now draw the tray away in the directionof the arrow 100 where it may be deposited as desired or removed fromthe chains 90 by an attendant.

If desired, trays or other loads may be placed upon the carriers at anylevel beneath the unloading device described, thus increasing theusefulness of the conveyer.

In Fig. 10 I have shown a schematic lay-out of my improved conveyersystem, the parts being so arranged as to permit both loading andunloading on either side thereof. It has been explained heretofore thatloading may be done during the upper movement of the carriers C andunloading during the downward movement of the carriers. Normally thecarriers travel up (see Fig. 10) and down on the other side DN.

I provide for loading on the up side by momentarily causing the carrierC to descend as at 110, using such unloading mechanism as is shown inFig. 9. Conversely, I provide for the loading on the down side of theconveyer by causing the carriers to momentarily ascend as at 111, usingsuch loading apparatus as described and illustrated in dotted lines inFig. 1. In Fig. 10 loading and unloading apparatus is represented alsoat 112 and 113, respectively, completing an installation such asrequired to load and unload on both sides of the conveyer, one cyclebeing performed as the carriers go up and another as the carriers movedown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byUnited States Letters Patent is as follows:

In a conveyer system for transferring loads between difierent horizontallevels, a flexible endless conveyer composed of spaced parallel conveyermembers disposed over guide and driving pulleys and adapted to be drivenin synchronism with no transverse connection therebetween, said conveyerbeing reversely directed for a short distance in both its up side anddown side, load engaging carriers complementally disposed on each saidparallel conveyer members and having no transverse connection, loadreceivable supports extending across the axis of travel at both the upside and down side of the system and including spaced parallel runnersdisposed adjacent the points in the system whereat the conveyer membersresume their normal directional travel after reversal, said conveyermembers being arranged to move the load carriers longitudinally of therunners and beneath the same and along the opposite external sidesthereof, and means for conveying loads to and from said runners, saidmeans being disposed and operable between said runners.

EDWARD JAMES DE WI'IT.

